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Karen R Yap

@karens_plate

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Passionately Sarawakian, sharing the immensely diverse ethnic cuisine of my home state. Chef-host of #ethnicsarawaknight, a curated dining experience

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As the dust settles on thanksgiving and celebration, Ngiling Bidai concludes and the Ruai is restored. 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝗯𝗮𝗻, 𝗞𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝘂𝗻, 𝗟𝗮𝗯𝘂𝗵 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗵. Months named after the task at hand - drying, burning, dibbling. Months that see Hands to Land - to regenerate and ready, preluding…a Rhythm changing with the Equatorial Sun, a Rhythm centuries old.This is the season where the Sun is the primary ingredient…….flourishing yields, ….humidifying, fermenting nature’s most sophisticated profiles, ….sun-drying for the world's kitchen. From Heirloom rice to single-variety peppercorn, single-origin cocoa to indigenous Liberica - Sarawak’s cultivates shine under the Solstice spotlight. Directed by 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗮 | Land, scripted by Hands. This is 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝟯: 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗗𝗮𝘂 | Dance of the Sun of #ethnicsarawaknight ’s Rhythm series.Take a seat as we curate across Sarawak’s indigenous cultivates, when 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗗𝗮𝘂 | the Sun presents them at their best. We can’t wait to share with you.Fridays- 10 & 31 July- 14 & 28 AugustDM/PM for reservations. #MenuasRhythm#DatunMataDau#indigenouscuisine #privatediningkl by @karens_plate

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a month ago

𝗞𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗷𝗶 (Dialium Indum) | Velvet TamarindSmall black velvet pods - barely bigger than a standard peanut - encased in brittle, charcoal-black shell. Within, the orange, soft, powdery pulp and a shiny black seed. This is our indigenous tamarind. The trees are wild and slow to mature and fiercely seasonal, typically fruiting between September and November, right as the heavy hitters like durian, tarap wind down. Unlike the sticky, toffee-dense flesh of the popular Tamarind | Asam Jawa, 𝗞𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗷𝗶's orange hued pulp is airy, cotton candy-like, dissolving on the tongue. Sweet-sour but with a definite tang, often compared to Chinese hawthorn, or raisins. So no surprise that as kids, we used to hunt them down as candy :) But the elders carried the ancestral knowledge of the tree's true survival power: Bitter bark and leaves used for medicinal properties.Today, as wild habitats shift, finding a bundle of 𝗞𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗷𝗶 at a tamu is really rare. It makes me hold onto those memories even tighter; sharing the joy of savouring this childhood candy with my daughter. It made putting 𝗞𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗷𝗶 on the #EthnicSarawakNight table meaningful beyond just the ingredient.#wildproduce #jungleingredients#sarawak#privatediningkl by @karens_plate

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23 days ago

This one is definitely from the vault...deep in the vault. Acar Rebung is one I haven't seen served since leaving longhouse days. A lovely fresh batch at the market and this time, Acar Rebung came flooding back. Interesting how memory works, still can't figure out the trigger though.Late grand-aunt in a different longhouse used to make this from her semi sun-dried bamboo shoots. "Baka Ini Basikal (there was a Chinese grandmother who owned a bicycle shop in old Marudi town whose Acar Sarawak was a CNY must-have) "but our way"," she taught. Reminiscent of Sarawak's Acar, cucumber and carrot are replaced by Bamboo Shoot and Sarawak Pineapple - ofcourse, spring onion and ginger with Dayak onion and Dayak ginger - earthier. Deep umami built into the gravy by Udang Kering and Ikan Masin Gonjeng (this one is subject to what ever dried salted fish is available). The finishing of sesame seeds opted out for native nut or seed from the orchard - toasted, chopped cempedak seed is particularly creamy and thickens.Not fusion, but adaptation. To feeding a yearning but with ingredients closer to ecosystem and heritage. I can't complain, coz it means I have two types of Acar to lean on. Why not.#EthnicSarawakNight#JungleEats#CultureonaPlate#privatediningkl by @karens_plate

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a month ago

by @karens_plate

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a month ago

Kotobian Tadau Tagayo do KaamatanGayu Guru, Gerai Nyamai, Lantang Senang Nguan MenuaTo honour Land and Her bounty as Blessing and Nourishment, to Spirit and in Kinship.Selamat Kaamatan. Selamat Gawai by @karens_plate

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2 months ago

Always humbled when the small contribution that is #EthnicSarawakNight gets a spotlight as that means Sarawak's indigenous ways, her culturally rooted foodways and immensely diverse culinary scape shines.This time, we made part of Malaysia's feature on 100 Places to Eat, a popular Russian travel and culinary show on STS channel. Thank you and it was pleasure hosting you @sashabelkovich.View the full feature on Youtube:https://youtu.be/yGfjaARY3gg?si=m-8Lr-m1u-WoZO4V.Come through, curious palates. We'd share with you. DM to take a seat at at ESN Chef's Table.#EthnicSarawakCuisine#OriginalWays#IndigenousCuisine#privatediningkl by @karens_plate

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2 months ago

I don't bake, many of you know :)But I am a kueh person. And Kek Sarang Semut or Gula Hangus is a personal favourite. I've also been on a personal quest to use our indigenous starches and fats more. So am really happy with how this morning's final test of Tapioca, Sago ratio batter worked. Sago is central to the Melanaus of Sarawak's Central riverine region. Their "Tree of Life", they hold deep reverence for the palm and every part is everything - staple food, economic backbone and core cultural identity.And this starch has indulged me and my random experiments in many ways - from crepes, popiah skin to this :)Sweetened with a caramel of Gula Apong of course and replaced condensed milk (I really can't) with thick santan cream.Happy Sunday and to all the Mamas - Happy Mothers Day. by @karens_plate

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3 months ago

We are fully booked for May. Thank you everyone for your unwavering support.Releasing new dates for Gawai | Harvest Festival monthFeaturing Rhythm of Daat. season 2: Tides of our Rhythm curation where we honour the Coastal Cultures of Sarawak.FRIDAY 12 & 19 JuneServing from 7.30pm DM to take a seat.We can't wait to serve you.#EthnicSarawakNight #SarawaksCoastalCultures#CoastandRiver#indigenouscuisine#privatediningkl by @karens_plate

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3 months ago

If you’re fortunate enough to find yourself at @karens_plate’s table, you’re in for a culinary journey unlike any other, one that expands both palate and perspective. A steadfast advocate for Sarawak’s food culture, the chef-host offers more than a meal; she presents a living archive—preserving what once was, carried thoughtfully into the present.The latest menu for her Ethnic Sarawak Night private dining experience is called Rhythm of Daat, Season 2 - Tides, and it honours Sarawak’s costal seasons through a narrative shaped by tide and salt, set to the rhythm of waves. Expect some flavours that challenge yet intrigue—unfamiliar even to many locals. From hand-harvested Bubok Santubong to sun-cured Belacan Bintulu, and the saline sweetness of seasonal Cencalok Miri, the depth and diversity of taste may leave you wondering why these ingredients were ever forgotten about. Opt for the tuak pairing to nicely round out the experience. This is the soul of Sarawak, served on a plate.#PalateAsia #EthnicSarawakNight #PrivateDiningKL by @karens_plate

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3 months ago

𝗝𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗴𝘂𝘁 𝗗𝘂𝘆𝘂𝗻𝗴 | Mermaid's Beard | Gracilaria Red Alga - beloved by Sarawak's coastal communities and a living testament of their ancestral knowledge of the shoreline. Foraged from the wild during low tide, Janggut Duyung is harvested by nimble, careful hands as it entangles on shoreline rocks and roots of trees. Timing is everything - a perfect read of shifting moon and tidal currents.To taste Janggut Duyung is to taste the ocean — briny, fresh, with a signature snap that bellies it's delicate hair-like structure. Hence the traditional serving as a tossed Kerabu | Salad.This fleeting gift of the tide joins 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝟮 - 𝗗𝗮𝗮𝘁 | 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘀, of #EthnicSarawakNight's Rhythm series as we celebrate the raw, ancient connection between Sarawak's fishermen and the sea. #DaatHerSeas #CoastalHeritage #CoastalCulture #PrivateDiningKL by @karens_plate

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3 months ago

Honouring those who put #cultureonaplate before us#worldculinaryheritage2026#worldculturalheritage by @karens_plate

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3 months ago

Tepus | by @karens_plate

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3 months ago